Educators for Excellence, a group that advocates for teacher leadership, asked a dozen teachers to develop a survey for America's educators on issues from school choice to union membership to accountability. The survey was conducted online from April 14 through May 6, among a nationally representative sample of 1,000 full-time public school teachers (both from charter schools and traditional public schools). An independent research firm administered the survey.

The 118-page survey has plenty of interesting tidbits. Here are some of the highlights:

Teachers Value Salary Over Pensions

Just over 40 percent of teachers said they would prefer to have a higher salary and a smaller pension, compared to the 26 percent who want the opposite (the rest weren't sure). And when it comes to pensions, 45 percent of teachers said they'd rather have defined-benefit pension plans, which promise a specific payout to teachers upon retirement determined by a formula. Forty-two percent said they would prefer a defined-contribution plan, which is based on each teacher's individual investment decisions—such as 401(k) accounts common in the private sector.

That divide is interesting, considering that 85 percent of all teachers are enrolled in defined-benefit pension plans, while only 8 percent of teachers have defined-contribution plans. However, more states, facing underfunded pension systems, are considering transferring new teachers over to hybrid "cash-balance" plans, which include features of both defined-benefit and defined-contribution plans. That was one of the pension reforms Kentucky made this spring that sparked widespread protests among teachers.

Nearly half of teachers said they would be likely to strike for a reduction in their retirement benefits. That was only topped by the 60 percent of teachers who said they would strike over a pay cut.

The vast majority of teachers said they wish they had more opportunities to further their careers while remaining in the classroom (and they also said those leadership roles should be compensated). Nearly half of teachers—43 percent—said they feel pressure to become an administrator in order to advance in their career.

Meanwhile, the vast majority of teachers said they would be interested in having roles like serving as a peer mentor, an instructional coach, or a lead teacher. The survey found that teachers are equally as interested in these opportunities to further their careers as they are to get more pay.

Teachers Want to Be Heard

Almost all teachers surveyed said they wished there were more opportunities for teachers to influence education policy. "Teachers are the ones who see needs in the classroom, but they are probably the least consulted when it comes to policy decisions," one respondent said, according to the report.

While most teachers said their perspectives are represented in policy decisions in their schools, 61 percent said they felt represented in district policies, and only 35 percent said they felt represented in policy decisions at the state level. Just a quarter said they feel like their perspective is represented in federal policymaking.

Just over 30 percent of teachers said they "often" or "sometimes" fear for their own physical safety while at school. They are most concerned about gun violence or school shootings. (There have been 14 school shootings with injuries or deaths this year, according to Education Week's tracking.)

Fifteen percent of respondents said they are concerned about violence against teachers. Federal data show that 5.8 percent of the nation's teachers were physically attacked by a student, and almost 10 percent were threatened with injury in the 2015-16 school year.

Just about half of teachers said their school does a good job of training them on how to address school violence.

Proof of Student Growth Important in Evaluations, Teachers Say

Respondents were asked to pick the three most valuable factors in evaluating teachers' effectiveness. The majority of teachers said measures of student academic growth over time (like in-class scores tracked from the beginning of the school year to the end), while only 10 percent selected students' standardized test scores.

Students' work and classroom observations by administrators and by teachers were other popular choices.

When it comes to factors that are the most valuable in evaluating a school's effectiveness, teachers again overwhelmingly chose measures of students' academic growth over time. They also tended to say that measures of school climate and culture, like the number of disciplinary infractions, and feedback from students were valuable factors, too.

Teachers Oppose Most Forms of School Choice

E4E asked teachers for their stances on different types of school choice, including vouchers, charter schools, and tax credits for donations that pay for scholarships to help low-income parents send their children to private schools. The majority of teachers oppose vouchers and charter schools, while 44 percent said they oppose tax credits.

Still, only 6 percent of respondents said they don't support any form of school choice. Sixty-four percent said they would support school choice if it doesn't shift funds away from public schools and if it's equally accessible to all students.

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